Give Us This Day Our DAILY GOOD NEWS - Volume 2 - A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner - Word 2003

8/8/2019 Give Us This Day Our DAILY GOOD NEWS - Volume 2 - A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner - Word 2003

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Give us this day

ourDAILY GOOD

NEWS!Volume 2

Three Months of Spiritual Foodfor Daily Reading

A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner

Jesus Taught Us to Pray,"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"

Volume 1 of this special series of daily devotional readings hasmet with an enthusiastic reception.

Now, Volume 2 follows with more morsels of delicious Daily GoodNews. Apparently the two authors, Jones and Waggoner, didn'tknow how to preach a bad news, self-centered, fear-oriented

message! Each presentation is pure spiritual sunshine, heart-warming, and effective in reconciling alienated human hearts toChrist and His righteousness.

Discover for yourself why the message of righteousness by faith,rightly understood, is never dry and boring.

Paul told the Corinthians that he didn't "know anything amongyou except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." But what he had to saywas "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

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That same Holy Spirit is alive today!

The original material has been condensed to make the message more clear and understandable.There has been no change in the meaning.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture texts are from the New King James Version.

Copyright 1994 Glad Tidings Publishers

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PREFACE

Volume 1 of this series has met with an enthusiastic welcome from

thousands of readers. Selected and condensed from articles and books byJones and Waggoner, these capsule messages demonstrate a power thatexplains why their messages so stirred their readers and listeners a centuryago. Many of you have written us testifying that you have not found a traceof Bad News in these messagesonly "most precious" Good News, pageafter page.

We commend Volume 2 to these happy readers with the prayer thatagain this collection may bring spiritual healing and renewed courage tomany people. Whether you read each day's message for personal reading,for family worship, or for group devotionals, may each page lift someone'sspirit in a time when so many millions of people long for some meaningful

Good News.

Glad Tidings Publishers

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91CHRISTTHE AUTHOR OF FAITH

Icounsel you to buy from Me gold refined [tried] in the fire, thatyou may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, thatthe shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint youreyes with eye salve, that you may see (Revelation 3:18).

What is tried? Faith. Are you to expect your faith to endure that test asgold passing through fire? Yes.

The trial of your faith, I care not how weak it may be, is more precious in

the sight of our Wonderful Counselor than all the gold and jewels in all thesafe deposit vaults that are on earth.

What does He call it? "More precious than gold that perishes" (1 Peter1:7). Let us then thank Him that He regards our weak, trembling faith likethat. Haven't we there one of the greatest possible encouragements that theLord can offer?

You say, "I haven't any faith." Well, the Lord says you have, and I say,thank Him for what you have. I do not care how little you have, though it belike the mustard seed, thank Him that you have it, and thank Him that it ismore precious to Him than all the gold and wealth of this earth. That is theway the Lord regards your faith.

You are not to question whether you have faith or not. God says you haveit, and it is so. By that "Light which gives light to every man who comes intothe world" (John 1:9), God has planted faith in every heart that is born intothis world. God will cause that faith to grow exceedingly, and He will revealHis righteousness to us as it grows "from faith to faith."

Where does faith come from? God gave it to us. Who is the Author offaith? Christ, and that Light which gives light to every man who comes intothe world is Jesus Christ. This is the faith that is in every man's heart. If eachone uses the faith which he has, he will never have any lack of faith.1

1Jones, A. T., "The Third Angel's Message," General Conference Bulletin, 1893, pp. 200-202.

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92GOOD NEWS FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS

SINNED

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, andthough the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea ... TheLord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:1,2 , 7).

Do you not remember way back in olden times they had cities of refuge?When some accident happened, as when an ax flew off the handle andstruck a man and killed him, what was the man to do? He was to strike outwith all his might for the city of refuge.

If he got in there, he was safe and he was perfectly free. But suppose hewent out of town? Just as certain as he went out he was responsible, hisblood was upon his own head. He was safe [only] as long as he stayed in therefuge. And he was to stay there until the high priest died. When the highpriest died, he was perfectly free, and could go anywhere.

We have sinned. What are the wages of sin? Death. Then who is after us?Death. Who had the power of death? Satan. Then who is after us? Satan. And

we "have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Heb 6:18).Where is that hope? "In Christ." Who is our city of refuge? "Christ." Who isour enemy? "Satan, death."

Now then, when we are in Christ, our refuge, can Satan touch us? Hecannot.

Suppose we go out before the priesthood closes, what then? We have noprotection and [Satan] will take us. Where is a person only able to meet theenemy? In the city. And in the city he does not have to meet the enemy,does he? The walls of the city meet the enemy. That shield of faith thatquenches all the fiery darts of the wicked, that shield of faith which is JesusChrist, is the walls of our city of refuge, and the fiery darts of the enemy

cannot get past it at all.

2

2Ibid., p. 204.

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93WHAT WORKED FOR CHRIST

WILL WORK FOR YOU

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.... for it isGod who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure"(Philippians 2:5, 13).

Jesus tells us to buy of Him "gold refined [tried] in the fire," which is thefaith which works by love, the genuine article. What is it that is to be triedwith severe trials? Your faith which is "more precious than gold." Then, yousee, as everyone's faith is to be so tried, he needs the faith that has stoodthe trial.

We have the testimony: "Here are those who keep the commandments ofGod and" have faith in Jesus? (Rev. 14:12). No, the "have" is not there. Theykeep the commandments of God and [keep] the faith of Jesus. That is thegenuine article; that is the faith which, in Him, endured the test. That is thefaith which met every fiery trial that Satan knows with all the power that hecould rally. That faith endured the test.

So, in the expression "buy from me that faith that has endured," is therenot the same thought that we have learned in "this mind . .. which was also

in Christ Jesus"? (Phil. 2:5). When that "mind" is in me that was in Him, willnot that mind do in me precisely what it did in Him? How is it that we servethe law of God? "With the mind I myself serve the law of God" (Rom. 7:25).Christ in this world every moment served the law of God. How did He do it?With the mind. By what process of the mind? By faith. Did not the faith ofJesus keep the commandments of God perfectly, all the time? And is not thatthe faith that works by love?

Isn't that the third angel's message when He says, "Buy from Me goldrefined [tried] in the fire [love and faith], and white garments [therighteousness of Christ], that you may be clothed, that the shame of yournakedness may not be revealed"? (Rev. 3:18). We see how the mind that

was in Christ will stand all of the trials that this world can bring. Will the mindof Christ in Him do differently from the mind of Christ in me or in any otherperson? No.3

3Ibid., p. 205.

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94THE GARMENT WOVEN IN THE LOOM OF

HEAVEN

"For thus says the Lord: 'You have sold yourselves for nothing, andyou shall be redeemed without money"' (Isaiah 52:3).

When we sold ourselves, what did we get? We sold ourselves for nothing.And if it costs us anything to get back, that means everlasting ruin, does itnot? "You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemedwithout money." It cost the Lord something, however. It cost Him everything.But all this He gives us, so that it costs us nothing. The price was paid, butnot by us.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have nomoney, come, buy and eat" (Isa. 55:1). Whoever has no money, He willattend to the buying, He will see that we get the article.

"Buy from me ... white garments that you may be clothed" (Rev. 3:18).The description that we have is, "that garment that is woven in the loom ofheaven, in which there is not a single thread of human devising." Thatgarment was woven in a human bodythe flesh of Christ, in the same fleshthat you and I have, for He took part of the same flesh and blood that we

have. That was the loom in which God wove that garment for you and me towear in the flesh, and He wants us to wear it now, as well as when the fleshis made immortal in the end!

What was the loom? Christ in His human flesh. What was made there?The garment of righteousness, the righteousness of Christthe life that Helivedthat is the garment. He wants that garment to be ours, but does notwant us to forget who is the Weaver. It is not ourselves, but it is He who iswith us. His character is to be in us, just as God was in Him, and Hischaracter is to be woven and transformed into us through these sufferingsand temptations and trials which we meet. God is the Weaver, but notwithout us. It is the cooperation of the divine and the humanthe mystery of

God in you and methe same mystery that was in the gospel. That is thethird angel's message.4

4Ibid., pp. 206, 207.

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95THE GOSPEL IS STRONGER THAN BAD

HEREDITY

"We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with ourweaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet withoutsin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that wemay obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews4:15, 16).

The gospel of God is "concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who wasborn of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3). Read the historyof David, and of the kings who descended from him, and who became theancestors of Jesus, and you will see that on the human side the Lord washandicapped by His ancestry as badly as anybody can ever be. Many of themwere licentious and cruel idolaters. Although Jesus was thus compassed withinfirmity, He "committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth" (1 Peter2:22). This is to give courage to people in the lowest conditions of life. It is toshow that the power of the gospel of the grace of God can triumph overheredity.

As with Christ, so with us; it is through much tribulation that we enter the

kingdom. He who fears reproach, or who makes his lowly birth, or hisinherited traits, an excuse for his shortcomings, will fail of the kingdom ofheaven. Jesus Christ went to the lowest depths of humiliation in order that allwho are in those depths might, if they would, ascend with Him to the utmostheights of exaltation.5

"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves alsowith the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased fromsin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lustsof men, but for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:1,2).

5Waggoner, E. J., Waggoner on Romans, pp. 12, 13.

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96CHRISTMADE IN ALL THINGS LIKE WE

ARE

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through theflesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh " (Romans 8:3).

There is a common idea that this means that Christ simulated sinful flesh;that He did not take upon Himself actual sinful flesh, but only what appearedto be such. But the Scriptures do not teach such a thing.

"In all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be amerciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to makepropitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17). He was "born of a woman,born under the law,.. that he might redeem those who were under the law"(Gal. 4:4, 5).

He took the same flesh that all have who are born of woman. A paralleltext to Romans 8:3, 4 is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21. The former says thatChrist was sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh,... that the righteousrequirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." The latter says that God"made Him ... to be sin for us," although He knew no sin, "that we might

become the righteousness of God in Him."All the comfort that we can get from Christ lies in the knowledge that Hewas made in all things as we are. Otherwise we should hesitate to tell Him ofour weaknesses and failures. The priest who makes sacrifices for sins mustbe one who "can have compassion on those who are ignorant and goingastray, since he himself is also beset by weakness" (Heb. 5:2).

This applies perfectly to Christ; "for we do not have a High Priest whocannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as weare, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). This is why we may come boldly to thethrone of grace for mercy. So perfectly has Christ identified Himself with us,that He even now feels our sufferings.6

6Ibid., pp. 128, 129

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97WHAT IT MEANS TO WALK NOT AFTER

THE FLESH

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on thethings of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, thethings of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5).

Note that this depends on the preceding statement, "that the righteousrequirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according tothe flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). The things of the Spirit arethe commandments of God, because the law is spiritual. The flesh serves thelaw of sin (see Gal. 5:19-21, where the works of the flesh are described). ButChrist came in the same flesh, to show the power of the Spirit over the flesh."Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the fleshbut in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Rom. 8:8, 9).

Now no one will claim that the flesh of a person is any different after hisconversion from what it was before. Least of all will the converted personhimself say so; for he has continual evidence of its perversity. But if he isreally converted, and the Spirit of Christ dwells in him, he is no more in thepower of the flesh. Even so Christ came in the same sinful flesh, yet He was

without sin, because He was always led by the Spirit."The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law ofGod, nor indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). The flesh never becomes converted. It isenmity against God; and that enmity consists of opposition to His law. ButChrist is our Peace. In His own flesh He abolishes the enmity, so that all whoare crucified with Him are at peace with God; that is, they are subject to Hislaw, which is in their hearts.7

7Ibid., 129.

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98GOOD NEWS: WE ALREADY HAVE PEACE

IN THIS TROUBLED WORLD

"Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with Godthrough our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

The "therefore" refers [in Romans 4] to Abraham's faith in the promisethat he should have a sonthe child of faith. But the same faith that resultedin the birth of Isaac, also brought righteousness to Abraham. Therefore, therighteousness of faith is as real as was the son that was born to him throughfaith.

What is peace? Most people have the idea that it is a sort of ecstaticfeeling. They think that peace with God means an indescribable heavenlyfeeling. They always look for that imaginary feeling as evidence that they areaccepted with God.

But peace with God means the same thing that it means with people: itmeans simply the absence of war. As sinners we are enemies of God. He isnot our enemy, but we are His enemies. He is not fighting against us, but weare fighting against Him. How then may we have peace with Him? Simply byceasing to fight, and laying down our arms. We may have peace whenever

we are ready to stop fighting.Note that when we have peace with God we are not simply at peace withHim, but we have His peace. This peace has been left on the earth for us; forthe Lord has said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you" (John14:27). He has given it to us. It is ours, therefore, already. It has always beenours. The only trouble has been that we have not believed it.

As soon as we believe the words of Christ, then we have in very deed thepeace which He has given. And it is peace with God, because we find thepeace in Christ, and Christ dwells in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18).8

8Ibid., pp. 92, 93.

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99THE PEACE OF FAITH

"Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himselfan enemy of God" (James 4:4).

Righteousness is peace, because our warfare against God was our sinsthat we cherished. But God has promised to place an end to our warfare; toplace enmity between us and our sins (see Gen. 3:15; Isa. 40:1, 2).

God's life is righteousness, and He is the God of peace. Since the enmity

is the carnal mind and its wicked works, peace must be the opposite,namely, righteousness. So it is simply the statement of an obvious fact, thatbeing justified by faith we have peace with God. The righteousness that wehave by faith carries peace with it. The two things cannot be separated.

The question is asked, "Can one have peace with God and not have afeeling of peace?" What says the Scripture? "Having been justified by faith,we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1). What brings the peace? The faith. Butfaith is not feeling. If there must be a certain feeling with peace, then if wedid not have that feeling we should know that we were not justified; and thenjustification would be a matter of feeling, and not of faith.

Peace must come by faith. Peace that depends on feeling will depart as

soon as we begin to feel tribulation. But nothing can make any differencewith the peace that comes by faith.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. Inthe world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcomethe world" (John 16:33).9

9Ibid., pp. 93,94.

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100CHRIST DIED FOR BAD PEOPLE

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that ChristJesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1Timothy 1:15).

The reason why "hope does not disappoint" is "because the love of Godhas been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5). Note that itdoes not say love forGod, but the love ofGod.

What is the love of God? "This is the love of God, that we keep His

commandments" (1 John 5:3). The Holy Spirit, then, puts into our heartsobedience to the law of God; and it is that which gives us boldness in the dayof judgment, and at all other times. It is sin that makes us afraid. When sin istaken away, then fear is gone. "The wicked flee when no one pursues, butthe righteous are bold as a lion" (Prov. 28:1).

"This man receives sinners" (Luke 15:2). Strange that people will allow asense of their sinfulness to keep them away from the Lord, when Christ camefor the one purpose of receiving and saving them. He is "able to save to theuttermost those who come to God through him (Heb. 7:25); and He says thatthose who come to Him He "will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

It was when we were still without strength that Christ died for the

ungodly (Rom. 5:6), because He died for the purpose that we might bestrengthened with might by the Spirit. If He waited for us to gain somestrength before giving Himself for us, then we should be lost. When were wewithout strength? Just now; and even now Jesus Christ is set forth "evidentlycrucified" among us (Gal. 3:1, KJV). "Surely in the Lord I have righteousnessand strength" (Isa. 45:24).10

10Ibid., pp. 95, 96.

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101THE GREATEST LOVE

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for agood man someone would even dare to die" (Romans 5:7).

Our English translation does not indicate the difference between the twowords used here. The righteous man is the just man, the man who is carefulto give everyone his due. The good man is the benevolent man, the one whohas done us many favors, and who does for us more than we could justlyclaim. Now, no matter how just a man may be, his integrity of character

would scarcely lead one to die for him. Yet it is possible that for a man ofgreat kindness "someone would even dare to die."

That is the highest measure of love among us. One may lay down his lifefor his friends, "but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that whilewe were still sinners [therefore enemies], Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

God does not need to be reconciled to us, but we need reconciliation toHim. And He Himself, in the kindness of His heart, makes the reconciliation.We are "made near by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). How so? Because itwas sin that separated us from Him, and made us enemies; and "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Being cleansedfrom sin, we must necessarily be reconciled to God.

In that Christ shed His blood/or us, He gave His life for us. But inasmuchas the blood is applied to us, to cleanse us from all sin, He gives His life tous. In the death of Christ therefore we are crucified with Him. We receive Hislife as a substitute for our sinful life, which He takes upon Himself.11

"From first to last this has been the work of God. He has reconciled us toHimself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing[margin, "reckoning"] their trespasses to them, and has committed to us theword of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as thoughGod were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, bereconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:18-20).

11Ibid., pp. 96, 97.

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102ARE YOU AFRAID YOU HAVE NO FAITH?

"I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is amongyou, .. . think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure offaith " (Romans 12:3).

There is comfort in all God's exhortations and commandments, since Hedoes not expect us to act in our own strength but in His. When He utters acommand, it is but the statement of what He will do in and for us, if we yieldto His power. When He reproves, He is simply showing to us our need, which

He can abundantly supply.Pride is the enemy of faith. The two cannot live together. A man can think

soberly and humbly only as the result of the faith that God gives. "Behold theproud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith" (Hab.2:4). The one who has confidence in his own strength and wisdom will notdepend upon another. Trust in the wisdom and power of God comes onlywhen we recognize and acknowledge our own weakness and ignorance.

That faith which God deals to us is indicated in Revelation 14:12: "Here isthe patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments ofGod and the faith of Jesus." God does not give faith to the saints only, anymore than He gives the commandments to them alone; but the saints keep

the faith, and others do not. The faith which they keep is the faith of Jesus;therefore it is the faith of Jesus that is given to us.12

"Man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith in JesusChrist, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified byfaith in Christ" (Gal. 2:16).

12Ibid., pp. 178, 179.

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103FAITHAS EASY AS BREATHING

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we shouldlive soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11,12).

Everyone is exhorted to think soberly, because God has dealt to everyperson the measure of faith. Many people have a notion that they are soconstituted that it is impossible for them to believe. That is a grave error.

Faith is just as easy, and just as natural, as breathing. It is the commoninheritance of all people, and the one thing wherein all are equal. It is as nat-ural for the child of the infidel to believe as it is for the child of the saint. It isonly when people build up a barrier of pride about themselves (Psalm 73:6)that they find it difficult to believe. And even then they will believe; for whenpeople disbelieve God, they believe Satan. When they disbelieve the truth,they greedily swallow the most flagrant falsehoods.

We have seen that faith is given to everyone (Rom. 12:3). This may beknown also by the fact that salvation is offered to everyone, and placedwithin his grasp, and salvation is only by faith. If God had not given faith toeveryone, he could not have brought salvation within the reach of all.

The question is, in what measure has God given each one faith? This isreally answered in the fact already learned, that the faith which He gives isthe faith of Jesus. The faith of Jesus is given in the gift of Jesus Himself, andChrist is given in His fullness to each one. He tasted death for everyone(Heb. 2:9). "To each one of us grace was given according to the measure ofChrist's gift" (Eph. 4:7). Christ is not divided; therefore to every person isgiven all of Christ and all of His faith. There is but one measure.13

13Ibid., p. 179.

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104BE THANKFUL FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE!

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall bewhiter than snow.... Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew asteadfast spirit within me " (Psalm 51:7, 10).

When Christ shed His blood for us, He gave His life for us inasmuch as theblood is applied to us to cleanse us from all sin. In the death of Christtherefore, if we are crucified with Him, we receive His life as a substitute forour sinful life, which He takes upon Himself.

Our sins are remitted through faith in His blood, not as an arbitrary act,but because by faith we exchange lives with Him, and the life which we getin exchange has no sin. Our sinful life is swallowed up in His boundless life,because He has life so abundantly that He can die because of our trans-gressions, and still live again to give life to us.

Christ did not go through the pangs of death for nothing, nor did He giveHis life to us for the purpose of taking it away again. When He gives us Hislife, He designs that we shall keep it forever. How do we get it? By faith. Howdo we keep it? By the same faith. "As you have therefore received ChristJesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col. 2:6). His life can never end, but we maylose it by unbelief.

Let it be remembered that we don't have this life in ourselves, but "thislife is in his Son." We keep the everlasting life by keeping Christ. Peoplesometimes say that they can believe that God forgives their sins, but theyfind it difficult to believe that He can keep them from sin. Well, if there is anydifference, the latter is the easier of the two; for the forgiveness of sinsrequires the death of Christ, while the saving from sins requires only Hiscontinued life.

Think what was in the life of Christ. As we have the record in the NewTestament, we shall know what ought to be in our lives now. If we allow Himto dwell in us, He will live just as He did then. If there is something in ourlives that was not then in His, we may be sure that He is not living it in us

now.14

14Ibid., pp. 96, 97.

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105THE GLORY OF GOD IS HIS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

"All alike have sinned, and are deprived of the divine splendour, andall are justified by God s free grace alone, through His act of lib-eration in the person of Christ Jesus." "All have sinned and fall shortof the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through theredemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:23, 24, NEB, NKJV).

The great burden of the Epistle to the Romans is to show that so far assin and salvation are concerned, there is absolutely no difference betweenpeople of all races and conditions in life.

People are fond of imagining that what are called "shortcomings" are notso bad as real sins. So it is much easier for them to confess that they have"come short" than that they have sinned and done wickedly. But since Godrequires perfection, it is evident that "shortcomings" are sins. When per-fection is the standard, it makes no difference in the result, how much orhow little one comes short, so long as he comes short. The primary meaningof sin is "to miss the mark."

From the text we learn that the glory of God is His righteousness. Notice,

the reason why all have come short of the glory of God is that all havesinned. Man in the beginning was "crowned with glory and honor" (Heb. 2:7)because he was upright. In the fall he lost the glory, and therefore now hemust "seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Rom. 2:7). Christ could say tothe Father, "The glory which You gave Me I have given them" (John 17:22),because in Him is the righteousness of God which He has given as a free gift.

In Christ we are "being justified," in other words, being made righteous.To justify means to make righteous. God supplies just what the sinner lacks.Let no reader forget the simple meaning of justification. Some people havethe idea that there is a much higher condition for the Christian to occupythan to be justified. That is to say, that there is a higher condition for one to

occupy than to be clothed within and without with the righteousness of God.That cannot be.15

15Ibid., pp. 70, 71.

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106IT COSTS US NOTHING,

BUT IT COST HIM EVERYTHING

"We judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died.... Therefore, ifanyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passedaway; behold, all things have become new " (2 Corinthians 5:14 ,17).

We are made righteous "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"(Rom. 3:24). That is, through the purchasing power that is in Christ Jesus, orthrough "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). This is the reason whyit comes to us as a gift.

Some one may say that everlasting life in the kingdom of God is too greata thing to be given to us for nothing. So it is, and therefore it had to bepurchased. But since we had nothing that could buy it, Christ has purchasedit for us and He gives it to us freely, in Himself.

But if we had to purchase it from Him, we might as well have bought it inthe first place, and saved Him the task. "If righteousness comes through thelaw, then Christ died in vain" (Gal. 2:21). "You were not redeemed withcorruptible [margin, "perishable"] things, like silver or gold, from your

aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with theprecious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot" (1Peter 1:18,19). The redemption that is in Christ Jesus is His own life.

Christ is the one whom God has set forth to declare His righteousness.Now since the only righteousness that is real righteousness is therighteousness of God, and Christ is the only One who has been ordained ofGod to declare it upon men, it is evident that it cannot be obtained exceptthrough Him. "There is no other name under heaven given among men bywhich we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).16

The scene on Calvary was the manifestation of what has taken place aslong as sin has existed, and will take place until everyone is saved who is

willing to be saved: Christ bearing the sins of the world. He bears them now.One act of death and resurrection was sufficient for all time, for it is eternallife that we are considering. Therefore it is not necessary for the sacrifice tobe repeated. That life is for everyone everywhere, so that whoever accepts itby faith has all the benefit of the entire sacrifice of Christ.17

16Ibid., p. 72.

17Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 47.

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20


21/96

107GOD PROVIDES THE SACRIFICE; WE GET

THE BENEFIT

"Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood,through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, ... that He mightbe just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus " (Romans3:24-26).

A propitiation is a sacrifice. The statement here is simply that Christ is setforth to be a sacrifice for the remission of our sins. "Once at the end of theages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb.9:26).

Of course the idea of a propitiation or sacrifice is that there is wrath to beappeased. But take particular notice that it is we who require the sacrifice,and not God. We provides the sacrifice. The idea that God's wrath has to bepropitiated in order that we may have forgiveness finds no warrant in theBible.

It is the height of absurdity to say that God is so angry with people thatHe will not forgive them unless something is provided to appease His wrath,and that therefore He Himself offers the gift to Himself, by which He is

appeased.The heathen idea, which is too often held by professed Christians, is thatmen must provide a sacrifice to appease the wrath of their god. All heathenworship is simply a bribe to their gods to be favorable to them. If theythought that their gods were very angry with them, they would provide agreater sacrifice, and so human sacrifices were offered in extreme cases.They thought that their god was gratified by the sight of blood.

Ecclesiastical leaders imagine that salvation is by works and that byworks we can atone for sin. This is but the outcropping of the heathen idea ofpropitiation. The true God is not pleased with such sacrifices.18

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he

brings it with wicked intent!" "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, abroken and contrite heartthese, O God, you will not despise" (Prov. 21:27;Psalm 51:17).

18Waggoner on Romans, pp. 72, 73.

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22/96

108THE ONLY PEOPLE CHRIST CAN SAVE ARE

SINNERS

"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them"(Ephesians 2:10).

To declare righteousness is to speak righteousness. God speaksrighteousness to man, and then he is righteous. The method is the same asin the creation in the beginning. "He spoke, and it was."

Christ is set forth to declare God's righteousness for the remission of sins,in order that He might be just and at the same time the justifier of him whobelieves in Jesus. God justifies sinners, for they are the only ones who needjustification. The justice of declaring a sinner to be righteous lies in the factthat he is actually made righteous. Whatever God declares to be so, is so.And then he is made righteous by the life of God given him in Christ.

The sin is against God, and if He is willing to forgive it, He has the right todo so. No unbeliever would deny the right of a man to overlook a trespassagainst him. But God does not simply overlook the trespass; He gives His lifeas a forfeit. Thus He upholds the majesty of the law, and is just in declaring

that man righteous who was before a sinner. Sin is remittedsent awayfrom the sinner, because sin and righteousness cannot exist together, andGod puts His own righteous life into the believer. So God is merciful in Hisjustice, and just in His mercy.

This act of mercy on the part of God is eminently just, because in the firstplace the sin is against God, and He has a right to pass by offenses againstHim. Further, it is just, because He gives His own life as an atonement for thesin, so that the majesty of the law is not only maintained, but is magnified.God is just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. All righteousness isfrom Him alone.

Righteousness is the free gift of God to everyone who believes. True faith

has Christ alone as its object, and it brings Christ's life actually into theheart; and therefore it must bring righteousness.19

19Ibid., pp. 73, 74

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109WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.... Come, and let usreturn to the Lord.... Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge ofthe Lord" (Hosea 4:6 ;6:1 ,3).

It is commonly said that knowledge is power. That depends. If we takethe statement of the poet, that "the proper study of mankind is man," thencertainly knowledge is anything but power. Man is nothing but weakness andsin.

All people know that they are sinners, that they do things that are notright, but that knowledge gives them no power to change their course. Youmay tell a person all his faults, and if you tell him nothing more, you haveweakened rather than strengthened him.

But he who with the apostle Paul determines to know nothing "exceptJesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2) has knowledge that is power."And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, andJesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). To know Christ is to know thepower of His endless life. It is for lack of this knowledge that people aredestroyed (Hosea 4:6). But since Christ is the power of God, it is quite correctto say that power is the one thing that we need; and the only real power is

revealed in the gospel.All the power of earth is frail and but for a moment, while the power of

God is eternal. If people would but recognize the gospel for what it is, therewould not be any who would be ashamed of it. Paul said, "God forbid that Ishould glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). Thereason for this was that the cross is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Thepower of God, in whatever form manifested, is glory, and not for shame.20

"We proclaim Christyes, Christ nailed to the cross; and though this is astumbling-block to Jews and folly to Greeks, yet to those who have heard Hiscall, Jews and Greeks alike, He is the power of God and the wisdom of God"(1 Cor. 1:23, 24, NEB).

20Ibid., p. 22.

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110IF THE POWER OF GOD ISN'T THERE,

THE GOSPEL ISN'T THERE

"By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of your-selves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes."With the heart one believes to righteousness" (Rom. 10:10). "This is thework of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). Faith works.

Time would fail to tell of those "who through faith subdued kingdoms,working righteousness, obtained promises, ... out of weakness were madestrong" (Heb. 11:33, 34). People may say, "I cannot see how it is possible forone to be made righteous simply by believing." It makes no difference whatyou can see; you are not saved by sight, but by faith. You do not need to seehow it is done, because it is the Lord who does the work of saving. Christdwells in the heart by faith (Eph. 3:17), and because He is our righteousness,"He also has become my salvation" (Isa. 12:2).

If when the preaching of the gospel reveals to us the law of God, wereject it and find fault with it because it condemns our course, we are simplysaying that we do not desire that God should put His own righteousness

upon us. But, as we receive Him by faith, and we walk in Him as we havereceived Him, we shall "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7).21

If in anyone who has sought righteousness through Christ there isafterward found sin, it is because the person has dammed up the stream,allowing the water to become stagnant. Where there is no activity there isdeath. No one is to blame for this but the person himself. Let no professedChristian take counsel of his own imperfections and say that it is impossiblefor a Christian to live a sinless life. It is impossible for a true Christian, onewho has full faith, to live any other kind of life.22

21Ibid., pp. 23, 26.

22The Glad Tidings, p. 42.

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111"IN CHRIST" MEANS A LIFE OF JOYOUS

OBEDIENCE

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a goodwork in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"(Philippians 1:6).

When people try to handle the law of God, they invariably pervert it, andfit it to their own ideas. The only way to have its perfection appear is tosubmit to it, allowing it to rule. Then it will work itself out in the life. "It is Godwho works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

We have seen that the end or object of the law is the righteousnesswhich it requires. So it is said that Christ is the end of the law [for those]"who know righteousness." The law of God is the righteousness of God (seeIsa. 51:6, 7). But this righteousness is the real life of God Himself, and thewords of the law are only the shadow of it. That life is found only in Christ, forHe alone declares the righteousness of God (Rom 3:24, 25).

His life is the law of God, since God was in Him. That which the Jews hadonly in form is found in fact only in Christ. In Him the end of the law is found.Does any one say that "the end of the law" means its abolition? Very well;

when they find the abolition of Christ, they will have found the abolition ofthe law, and not before. Only a study of the life of Christ will reveal therighteousness which the law of God requires. "Do not think that I came todestroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill"(Matt. 5:17).

The perfect righteousness of the law is found only in Him. It is in Him inabsolute perfection. Therefore since Christ dwells in the heart of the believer,in Him only is the end of the law attained. "This is the work of God, that youbelieve in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). "With the heart one believes torighteousness" (Rom. 10:10).23


25


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112HOW NEAR CHRIST GOMES TO SINNERS

"That I may... be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, therighteousness which is from God by faith " (Philippians 3:8, 9).

The righteousness which is of the law, that is, our own righteousness, ison the principle of doing something in order to live. The mere statement ofthe case is sufficient to show its impossibility; for life must necessarilyprecede action. A dead body does not do something in order that it may live,

but it must be given life in order that it may do something.Peter did not tell the dead Dorcas to do some more charitable work, to

sew some more garments, in order that she might live, but in the name ofJesus he restored her to life in order that she might pursue her good works.The man that does those things shall live in them, but he must first livebefore he can do them.

Therefore the righteousness which is of the law is but an empty dream.Christ gives life, even the eternal and righteous life of God, which worksrighteousness in the soul that it has quickened. "In Him we live and moveand have our being" (Acts 17:28).

We read, "The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart"

(Deut. 30:14), that is, the word of faith, which we preach. Is Christ so near asthat? Indeed He is; for He Himself says, "Behold, I stand at the door andknock" (Rev. 3:20). It is not alone to the good that He is near, but He is "notfar from each one of us" (Acts 17:27).

We cannot reach out our hand without finding Him. Christ is in [near] theheart even of wicked people, waiting for them to recognize the fact thatalready exists, and will in all their ways acknowledge Him. Then He will dwellin their hearts "by faith." He will then direct them in all their ways. In nothingis the love of Christ more fully shown than in His dwelling with sinful men,and enduring all their hatefulness, in order that by His patience He may winthem from their evil ways.24

24Ibid., pp. 164-166.

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27/96

113THE FAITH OF JESUS BRINGS TRUE

COMMANDMENT-KEEPING

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom fromGodand righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1Corinthians 1:30).

The great thought and purpose of the true sanctuary, its priesthood andministry, is that God shall dwell in the hearts of the people. What now is thegreat thought and purpose of His dwelling in the hearts of the people? Theanswer is, perfection; the moral and spiritual perfection of the worshiper.

Therefore, since (a) the will of God is the sanctification and the perfectionof the worshipers; and (b) since the will of God is that His worshipers shall beso cleansed that they shall have no more conscience of sin; and (c) since theservice and the offerings in that earthly sanctuary could not do this, He tookit all away that He may establish the will of God. "By that will we have beensanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb.10:10).

The will of God is "even your sanctification." Sanctification is the truekeeping of all the commandments of God. This is to say that the will of God

concerning us is that His will shall be perfectly fulfilled in us.The sacrifices and the service in the earthly sanctuary could not takeaway the sins of people and so could not bring them to this perfection. Butthe sacrifice and the ministry of the true High Priest in the heavenlysanctuary do accomplish this.This does utterly take away every sin. And theworshiper is so truly purged that he has no more conscience of sins.

By the sacrifice, the offering, and the service of Himself, Christ took awaythe earthly sacrifices and the offerings and the earthly service which couldnever take away sins. By His perfect doing of the perfect will of God Heestablished the will of God.25

25Jones, The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection, pp. 57, 60.

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28/96

114THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY

ILLUSTRATES THE HEAVENLY

"In the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is aboutto sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared toHis servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:7).

The cleansing of the sanctuary and the finishing of the mystery of Godare identical as to time. In the "figure of the true" in the sanctuary, the roundof service was completed annually, and the cleansing of the sanctuary wasthe finishing of that figurative service.

The finishing of this earthly work of the sanctuary was also the finishingof the work for the people. For in that day which was the Day of Atonement(see Lev. 16:29-33), whosoever of the people did not by searching of heart,confession, and putting away of sin take part in the service of the cleansingof the sanctuary was cut off forever (Lev. 23:27-29).

And this was all "a figure for the time then present" (Heb. 9:9, KJV). Theearthly sanctuary and its sacrifice, priesthood, and ministry were a figure ofthe true, which is the sanctuary and ministry of Christ. The cleansing of theearthly sanctuary was a figure of the true, which is the cleansing of the

heavenly sanctuary from all the sins of the believers in Jesus. And the time ofthis cleansing of the true is declared by the Wonderful Numberer to be, "Fortwo thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed"(Dan. 8:14).

Indeed, the sanctuary of which Christ is the High Priest is the only onethat could be cleansed in 1844, because it is the only one that there is. "Hewho is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still;and he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him beholy still" (Rev. 22:11 ).26

"[Christ] has appeared once and for all at the climax of history to abolishsin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is the lot of men to die once, and

after death comes judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the burdenof men's sins, and will appear a second time, sin done away, to bring salva-tion to those who are watching for Him" (Heb. 9:26-28, NEB).

26Ibid., pp. 81, 82.

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115CHRISTTHE CONSECRATED WAY

TO CHRISTIAN PERFECTION

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by theblood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated forus, through ... His flesh,.. let us draw near with a true heart in fullassurance of faith" (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Perfection in every respect is attained through the service of our greatHigh Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.

This is the "new and living way" which Christ "consecrated for us"for allmankindby which every soul may enter into the holiest of all.

This new and living way He "consecrated for us through His flesh."Coming in the flesh, identifying Himself with mankind in the flesh, He hasconsecrated a way from where we are to where He now is, at the right handof the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.

Having been made in all things like unto us and having been tempted inall points like as we are (Heb. 2:14; 4:15), He has identified Himself withevery human soul just where that soul is. And from the place where everyhuman soul is, He has consecrated for that soul a new and living way

through all the vicissitudes and experiences of a whole lifetime, and eventhrough death and the tomb, into the holiest of all, at the right hand of Godfor evermore. "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctifiedare all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren"(Heb. 2:11).

Oh that consecrated way! Consecrated by His temptations and sufferings,by His prayers and tears, by His holy living and sacrificial dying, by Histriumphant resurrection and glorious ascension, and by His triumphal entryinto the holiest of all, at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in theheavens!27

27Ibid., p. 61.

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30/96

116CHARACTER PERFECTION IN THIS FLESH?

"Therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselvesfrom all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in thefear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Having become one of us, He has made this "consecrated way" our way;it belongs to us. He has endowed every soul with divine right to walk in thisconsecrated way, and by His having done it Himself in the fleshin our fleshHe has made it possible that every human soul can walk in that way.

As one of us, in our sinful human nature in this world, for a whole lifetimeHe lived a life "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26).By this He has made a way by which, in Him, every believer for a wholelifetime can live a life holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, andas a consequence be made with Him higher than the heavens.

Perfection of character is the Christian goalperfection attained inhuman flesh in this world. Christ attained it in human flesh in this world, andthus consecrated a way by which every believer can attain it in Him. He hasbecome our great High Priest, and the High Priesthood and ministry of Christin the true sanctuary is the only way by which any soul can attain this truegoal. "Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary" (Psalm 77:13).28

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come toGod through Him since he ever lives to make intercession for them" (Heb.7:25).

28Ibid., pp. 61, 62.

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117REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE

"When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who wereunder the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons"(Galatians 4:4, 5).

Anyone in all the world who knows guilt knows also what Jesus felt forhim. And by this he knows how close Jesus has come to him. Whoever knowswhat condemnation is [also] knows exactly what Jesus felt for him, and how

thoroughly Jesus is able to sympathize with him and to redeem him. Bearingguilt, under condemnation, and under the weight of the curse, Jesus lived theperfect life of the righteousness of God without ever sinning at all for a wholelifetime in this world of guilt, condemnation, and the curse.

Anyone knowing guilt and knowing also that Jesus actually felt in Hisexperience all this just as he feels it, by believing in Jesus he can know theblessedness of the perfect righteousness of God in his life.

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become acurse for us" (Gal. 3:13). His being made a curse is not in vain: itaccomplishes all that was intended by it in behalf of everyone who willreceive it.29

"In the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers andsupplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to saveHim from death, and was heard because of His godly fear... . And havingbeen perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obeyHim" (Heb. 5:7,9).

29Ibid., pp. 24.

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32/96

118THE LORD IS ON YOUR SIDESTOP

WORRYING!

"He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast,that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as manyas would not worship the image of the beast to be killed"(Revelation 13:15).

The time will come when he who stands to his allegiance to the thirdangel's message will have the penalty of death pronounced upon him. Hislife will be declared forfeited by the powers of this earth.

Then can any question of life come into our calculations now? Shall oneweigh up what his life is worth now, and weigh anything in his calculations asto whether he is going to stand by the third angel's message or not?

When all earthly support and protection are taken away, when allquestions of reputation (which the world thinks so much of) are taken awaywith all questions of property or business of any kind, and when all questionsof life are taken away, how much is left? None. Then it is time for everyone ofus to begin to think very seriously indeed.

But thank the Lord, we need not be a bit afraid of our enemy. The Lord

will never allow one to be shut up in a place where he does not expect totake us out a great deal more gloriously than if we had never got in there.The Lord does not call upon you or me to forfeit anything, but that in theplace of it He will give us that which is worth infinitely more. When He callsupon us to stand in allegiance to His truth, which shuts off from us allconsiderations of earthly support or protection, then He simply says, "Here isall the power of heaven and earth for you." Here is the covering of theAlmighty drawn over you. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneathare the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27)."Be not afraid" That is His word, is itnot? Let us go on our way with singing then.30

30General Conference Bulletin, pp. 126, 127.

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33/96

119THIS IS NO TIME TO BE AFRAID!

Iwill greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hascovered me with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).

Christ gives a character which He Himself wove from infancy to thegrave, complete in every respect. Then let us receive it.

Then we need not be afraid of oppression or difficulties, or whether wecan buy or sell anything at all, because the Lord has something so much

better. That is the character, and that is the covering that He draws over Hispeople so that the [seven last] plagues cannot touch them, and no power ofthe enemy can overcome or defile it. Thank the Lord!

When He calls upon you and me to take a position in allegiance to Hislaw, which will forfeit our lives, which will put our lives in jeopardy, whatthen? Well, He simply says, let that life go. It will vanish away in a little whileanyway. Here is life that will last through all eternity. "This is the testimony:that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 John 5:11).

Has He given it to us? "He that has the Son" will have life some time? "Hethat has the Son has life." Is Christ dead? No. He is alive. So, when we haveHim, we have the life that is in Him. What kind of life is in Him?Eternal life

only. Then when I have Him, I have the life which is His, and that is eternallife, just as He says.

We cannot have that life without yielding up this one. Yield up this lifeand you will get one that is a great deal better. Now is the time. But if I clingto this life, when it is gone, what have I left? Nothing.

When the test comes that this life is at stake, the man or woman who hasonly this life will stick to it. That's the danger. One can't go through what thethird angel's message must go through, with only this life that he has.Because it is all he has, he will stick to it when it is brought into jeopardy. Buthe who will let this life go, count it worth nothing, and take that life which isthe life of God, will have a life that can never get into jeopardy. That person

is safe.31

31Ibid., p. 128.

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120YES, WE ARE RICH!

"We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principali-ties, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able towithstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians6:12, 13).

Instead of the power of earth that we cannot depend upon, and which is

decidedly set against us, God gives us the power of God. Instead ofreputation, God gives us character. Instead of earthly riches, houses, lands,property, business considerations, or anything of the kind, God gives usJesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,and "you are complete in Him" (Col. 2:10).

God has appointed Him to be heir of all things, and we are "heirs of Godand joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also beglorified together" (Rom. 8:17). He is heir of all things, and we are joint heirs.Then how much belongs to us? All things. Then what have we? All things thatGod has. Then are we not rich?

Instead of this life which the powers of earth would take away, God gives

us His life. When He asks us to take a position in allegiance to Him and Hiscause, the Lord simply says, "Here is eternal life to start with."

Then, has not the Lord fully armed us? O, then let us have on the armorof God now. Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. That is wherethe Lord wants us to stand, and that is what He wants us to do. And He says,"I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). Now, what are you goingto do? "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15),and which course you will take.32

32Ibid, pp. 128, 129.

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121JESUS WAS "MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN"

"Go and learn what this means: Idesire mercy, and not sacrifice.'For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance(Matthew 9:13).

God sent forth His Son, "born of woman," and, therefore, a real man. Helived and suffered all the ills and troubles that fall to the lot of man. "TheWord became flesh" (John 1:14). Christ always designated Himself as "theSon of man," thus forever identifying Himself with the whole human race.

The bond of union can never be broken.Being "born of woman," Christ was necessarily born "under the law," for

such is the condition of all mankind. "In all things He had to be made like Hisbrethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in thingspertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb.2:17). He redeems us by coming into our place literally and taking our loadoff our shoulders. "He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that wemight become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

In the fullest sense of the word and to a degree seldom thought of whenthe expression is used, He became man's substitute. That is, He identifiesHimself so fully with us that everything that touches or affects us, touches

and affects Him. We cast our cares on Him by humbling ourselves into thenothingness that we are and leaving our burden on Him alone.

We must acknowledge that we are, or were before we believed, "underthe law." For Christ came to redeem none but those who were under the law.To be "under the law" means to be condemned to death by the law astransgressors. The law condemns none but those who are accountable to itand ought to keep it. Since Christ redeems us from condemnation of the law,it follows that He redeems us to a life of obedience to it.33

"That hope ... is like an anchor for our lives, an anchor safe and sure. Itenters in through the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf asforerunner" (Heb. 6:19, 20, NEB).

33The Glad Tidings, pp. 90, 91.

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122WHAT IT MEANS TO BE REDEEMED

FROM THE CURSE

"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord JesusChrist, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us fromthis present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father"(Galatians 1:3, 4).

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13.) Somewho superficially read this rush off frantically exclaiming, "We don't need tokeep the law, because Christ has redeemed us from the curse of it," asthough the text said that Christ redeemed us from the curse of obedience.Such read the Scriptures to no profit.

The curse is disobedience: "Cursed be everyone who does notabide byall things written in the book of the law, to do them" (see Gal. 3:10).Therefore Christ has redeemed us from disobedience to the law. God sentforth His Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin.... in order thatthe righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us" (Rom. 8:3, 4).

Someone may lightly say, "Then we are all right; whatever we do is rightso far as the law is concerned, since we are redeemed." It is true that all are

redeemed, but not all have accepted redemption. Many say of Christ, "Wewill not have this Man to reign over us," and thrust the blessing of God fromthem. But redemption is for all. All have been purchased with the preciousbloodthe lifeof Christ, and all may be, if they will, free from sin anddeath.

Stop and think what this means. Let the full force of the announcementimpress itself upon your consciousness. "Christ has redeemed us from thecurse of the law"from our failure to continue in all its righteousrequirements. We need not sin any more! He has cut the cords of sin thatbound us so that we have but to accept His salvation to be free from everybesetting sin. It is not necessary for us any longer to spend our lives in

earnest longings for a better life. Christ comes to the captives of sin andcries to them, "Liberty! Your prison doors are open. Go forth" (see Isa. 61:1).What more can be said? Christ has gained the complete victory over this

present evil world, over "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and thepride of life" (1 John 2:16), and our faith in Him makes His victory ours.34

34Ibid., pp. 60, 61.

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123SALVATION BY FAITH AND FAITH ALONE

"'Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but byfaith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that wemight be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law;for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians2:16).

The Galatians, having accepted the gospel, were led astray by falseteachers who presented to them "a different gospel" (Gal. 1:6), a counterfeit

gospel, since there is but one for all time and for all men.The counterfeit gospel was represented in these words: "Unless you are

circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts15:1). Now, although there is in these days no question as to whether or notone should submit to the specific rite of circumcision in order to be saved,the question of salvation itself, whether by human works or by Christ alone,is as alive as ever.

Instead of attacking their error and combating it with hard argument, theapostle begins with an experience which illustrates the case in hand. In thisnarrative he shows that salvation is wholly by faith for all alike, and not inany degree by works. As Christ tasted death for everyone, so everyone who

is saved must have Christ's personal experience of death and resurrectionand life. Christ in the flesh does what the law cannot do (Gal. 2:21; Rom.8:3,4).

But that very fact witnesses to the righteousness of the law. If the lawwere at fault, Christ would not fulfill its demands. He shows its righteousnessby fulfilling or doing what it demands, not simply/or us but in us. We do not"set aside [nullify] the grace of God." If righteousness could come by the law,"then Christ died in vain."

Let it be repeated, righteousness cannot possibly come by the law, butonly by the faith of Christ. Disobedience, rejection of the Lord, is the spirit ofantichrist. Only by keeping close to the word of God can we be kept from the

temptation that is coming on all the world. The gospel of Christ which revealsthe righteousness of God is the only possible salvation from it (see Rom.1:16, 17).35

35Ibid, pp. 49-51.

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124"WE WOULD SEE JESUS"

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should notobey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearlyportrayed among you as crucified?" (Galatians 3:1).

When Paul preached to them, Jesus was set forth before the Galatians asopenly crucified before their eyes. So vivid was the presentation that theycould actually see Him crucified. It was not only skillful word painting on thepart of Paul and imagination on the part of the Galatians. Through Paul the

Holy Spirit enabled them to see Him crucified.This experience of the Galatians cannot be peculiar to them. The cross of

Christ is a present thing. The expression, "Come to the cross," is not anempty form of words, but an invitation that can be literally complied with.

Not until one has seen Christ crucified before his eyes, and can see thecross of Christ at every turn, does one know the reality of the gospel. Manythere are who can testify that it is something more than a figure of speechwhen the apostle says that Christ was crucified before the eyes of theGalatians. They too have had the experience.

The question, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or bythe hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:2) admits of but one answer. It was by hearing

with faith. The Spirit is given to those who believe (John 7:38, 39; Eph. 1:13).The question also shows that the Galatians had received the Holy Spirit.There is no other way of beginning the Christian life. "No one can say thatJesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).

No works that one can do can bring Him into the soul, any more than adead man can manufacture the breath by which he can be made to live andmove. Those to whom Paul addressed this letter had seen Christ crucifiedbefore their eyes and had accepted Him through the Spirit. Have you alsoseen and accepted Him?36

36Ibid., pp. 51, 52.

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125WANT TO BE "PRACTICAL"? THEN

BELIEVE THE GOSPEL!

"Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, orupon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accountedto Abraham for righteousness" (Romans 4:9).

The Spirit was ministered and miracles were wrought, not by works oflaw, but by "hearing with faith," that is, by the obedience of faith, for faithcomes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Thus Paul's labor, and thefirst experience of the Galatians, were exactly in line with the experience ofAbraham, whose faith was accounted for righteousness.

Let it be remembered that the "false brethren" who preached "a differentgospel" (Gal. 2:4, 1:6), even the false gospel of righteousness by works,claimed Abraham for their father. It would be their boast that they were"children" of Abraham, and they would appeal to their circumcision as proofof the fact. But the very thing upon which they relied as proving them to bechildren of Abraham was proof that they were not; for "Abraham believedGod, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3). Abrahamhad the righteousness of faith before he was circumcised (Rom. 4:11). "Know

that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). Abrahamwas not justified by works, but his faith wrought righteousness (Rom 4:2,3).The same trouble still exists. People take the sign for the substance, the

end for the means. They see that righteousness reveals itself in good works. Therefore they assume that the good works bring the righteousness.Righteousness gained by faith, good works wrought without working, seemto them impractical and fanciful. They call themselves "practical" people andbelieve that the only way to have a thing done is to do it. But the truth is thatall such are highly impractical.

One "without strength" cannot do anything, not even so much as to raisehimself up to take the medicine that is offered him. Any counsel for him to

try to do it would be impractical. Only in the Lord is there righteousness andstrength (Isa. 45:24). Abraham is the father of all who believe forrighteousness, and of those only. The only "practical" thing is to believe,even as he did.37

37Ibid., pp. 53, 54.

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126HOW LEGALISM IS SO SUBTLE

"Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For asmany as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it iswritten, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all thingswhich are written in the book of the law, to do them'" (Galatians3:9,10).

Note the sharp contrast in verses 9 and 10, "Those who are of faith areblessed," but "as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse."

Faith brings the blessing. Works bring the curse, or, rather, leave one underthe curse. The curse is on all, for "he who does not believe is condemnedalready, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Sonof God" (John 3:18). Faith removes the curse.

Who are under the curse? "As many as are of the works of the law." Notethat it does not say that those who do the law are under the curse, for thatwould be a contradiction of Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are those who do Hiscommandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and mayenter through the gates into the city." "Blessed are the undefiled [margin,"blameless"] in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!"(Psalm 119:1).

So, then, they who are offaith are keepers of the law. Since the gospel is

contrary to human nature, we become doers of the law not by doing but bybelieving.

If we worked for righteousness, we would be exercising only our ownsinful human nature, and so would get no nearer to righteousness, butfarther from it. But by believing the "exceedingly great and preciouspromises," we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), andthen all our works are wrought in God.

"[The] Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained torighteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law ofrighteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Becausethey did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they

stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion astumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will notbe put to shame" (Rom. 9:30-33).38

38Ibid., pp. 55, 56.

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127CAN "GOOD WORKS" BECOME SINFUL?

"Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for menwill be lovers of themselves ... having a form of godliness but deny-ing its power." "They profess to know God, but in works they denyHim " (2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 5; Titus 1:16).

The Jews followed after the law of righteousness, but did not attain to it.Why? "Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works ofthe law" (Rom. 9:32).

How forcefully this sets forth that of which the entire Epistle to theRomans is a demonstrationthat faith does not clear one from it'stransgression, but that by faith alone can the law be kept!

The Jews are not blamed for following after the law of righteousness, butfor not following after it in the right way. It is not by works but by faith thatthe works which the law requires can be attained. There is no discount upongood works. They are the most necessary things in the world. They are theresult of the keeping of the law by faith. But there cannot be good workswithout faith; for "whatever is not from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).

But the Jews came miserably short of it. Why? "For they stumbled at thatstumbling stone" (Rom. 9:32). What stumbling stone? Christ. They were in

the very same condition that so many people are today, they would notbelieve that the promises of God to Israel were wholly and solely in Christ.

That very stumbling stone is a stepping stone, and a sure foundation.That over which some fall is the means of lifting up and building up others.Christ is a rock of offense to those who disbelieve, but a sure foundation tothose who have faith. He is "the Shepherd of Israel" (Psalm 80:1) and at thesame time the fold, and the door into the fold.

Whoever comes not in at the door, the same will be proved to be "a thiefand a robber" (John 10:1). But "whoever believes on Him will not be put toshame" (Rom. 9:33), because his faith will show him to be Abraham's seed,and thus an heir of God according to the promise.39


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128HOW COULD SOME CHURCH MEMBERS

BE "CURSED"?

"He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, andis not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will beblessed in what he does" (James 1:25).

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse"(Gal3:10). Why? Because the law is a curse? Not by any means: "The law is holy,and the commandment is holy and just and good" (Rom. 7:12). The "curse ofthe law" is transgression of the law. Disobedience to God's law is itself thecurse, for "just as through one man sin entered the world, and death throughsin" (Rom. 5:12). Sin has death wrapped up in it. Without sin death would beimpossible, for "the sting of death is sin" (1 Cor. 15:56).

Why, then, are all who rely on works of the law under a curse? Because"cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book ofthe law, and do them."

They are not cursed because they do the law, but because they do notdoit. So, then, we see that relying on works of the law does not mean that oneis doing the law. No! "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not

subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). All are under thecurse, and he who thinks to get out by his own works, remains there. Sincethe "curse" consists in not continuing in all things that are written in the law,therefore the "blessing" means perfect conformity to the law.

"Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if youobey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today;and the curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God"(Deut. 11:26-28). This is the living word of God, addressed to each one of uspersonally. "The law brings about wrath" (Rom. 4:15), but the wrath of Godcomes only on the children of disobedience (Eph. 5:6). If we truly believe, weare not condemned, because faith brings us into harmony with the law, the

life of God.

40

40The Glad Tidings, pp. 56, 57.

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129COME AND FIND REST!

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will giveyou rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentleand lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew11:28, 29).

All creation speaks of Christ, proclaiming the power of His salvation.Every fiber of man's being cries out for Christ. People do not realize it, butChrist is "the Desire of All Nations" (Haggai 2:7). He alone satisfies "the

desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16). Only in Him can relief be foundfor the world's unrest and longing.

Christ is seeking the weary and heavy laden, and calling them to Himself.Everyone has longings that nothing else in the world can satisfy. It is clearthat if one is awakened by the law to keener consciousness of his condition,and the law continues goading him, giving him no rest, shutting up everyother way of escape, he must at last find the door of safety, for it standsopen.

Christ is the "city of refuge" to which everyone pursued by the avenger ofblood may flee, sure of finding a welcome (see Num. 35). In Christ alone willthe sinner find release from the lash of the law, for in Christ the

righteousness of the law is fulfilled, and by Him it is fulfilled in us (Rom. 8:4).The law will allow nobody to be saved unless he has "the righteousness ofGod which is through faith," the faith of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22).

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).Whenever one receives the word of God, the word of promise, and no longerfights against it but yields to it, faith comes to him. The eleventh chapter ofHebrews shows that since the days of Abel people have found freedom byfaith. Faith can come now, today. "Now is the accepted time; behold, now isthe day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). "Today, if you will hear His voice, do notharden your hearts" (Heb. 3:7).41

41Ibid., p. 82.

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130WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "UNDER THE

LAW"

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, withunveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, arebeing transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just asby the Spirit of 'the Lord"' (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18).

Before faith came we were confined under the law, "shut up" unto thefaith which should afterward be revealed. We know that whatsoever is not offaith is sin (Rom. 14:23). Therefore, to be "under the law" is identical withbeing under sin.

The grace of God brings salvation from sin, so that when we believeGod's grace we are no longer under the law, because we are freed from sin.Those who are under the law therefore are the transgressors of the law.

Christ says, "I am the door" (John 10:9). He is also the sheepfold and theShepherd. Men fancy that when they are outside the fold they are free, andthat to come into the fold would mean a curtailing of their liberty; but exactlythe reverse is true. The fold of Christ is "a large place," while unbelief makesa narrow prison. Outside of Christ is bondage. In Him alone there is freedom.

Outside of Christ, one is in prison, "caught in the cords of his sin" (Prov.5:22).It is the law that declares one to be a sinner and makes him conscious of

his condition. It forms the sinner's prison walls, making him feeluncomfortable, oppressing him with a sense of sin, as though they wouldpress his life out. While he makes frantic efforts to escape, thosecommandments stand as firm prison walls. Whichever way he turns he findsa commandment which says to him, "You can find no freedom by me, for youhave sinned."

If he promises to keep the law, he is no better off, for his sin still remains.It goads him and drives him to the only way of escape. In Christ he is made

"free indeed," for in Christ he is made the righteousness of God. In Christ is"the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25).42

42Ibid., pp. 80-82.

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131THE JOY OF BEING A TRUE "FREE

THINKER"

"The Helper [margin, "Comforter"], the Holy Spirit, whom the Fatherwill send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to yourremembrance all things that I said to you " (John 14:26).

The sinner can have but a narrow range of thought. The true free thinkeris the one who comprehends "with all saints what is the width and length anddepth and height" of "the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph.3:18,19).

One must feel his need before he will accept help; he must know hisdisease before he can apply the remedy. The promise of righteousness willbe utterly unheeded by one who does not realize that he is a sinner. The firstpart of the "comforting" work of the Holy Spirit therefore is to convince us ofsin.

So "the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith inJesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (Gal. 3:22). "By the law isthe knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). He who knows that he is a sinner is in theway to acknowledge it; and "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to

forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).Thus the law in the hands of the Spirit is an active agent in inducing us toaccept the fullness of the promise. No one hates someone who has saved hislife by pointing out to him an unknown peril. On the contrary, such a one isregarded as a friend, and is always remembered with gratitude. Even so willthe law be regarded by the one who has been prompted by its warning voiceto flee from the wrath to come. He will ever say with the psalmist, "I hate thedouble-minded, but I love Your law" (Psalm 119:113).43

43Ibid., pp. 81; 78, 79.

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132THE REAL DEPTH

OF OUR SIN IS GOOD NEWS

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

Sin is a personal matter in the heart. "For from within, out of the heart ofmen, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within" (Mark 7:21-23). Sinis in every fiber of our being by nature. We are born in it, and our life is sin,so that sin cannot be taken from us without taking our life.

What I need is freedom from my own personal sinthat sin which notonly has been committed by me personally, but which dwells in the heart,the sin which constitutes all of my life. Shall I cast it on the Lord? Yes, that isright; but how? Can I gather it up in my hands and cast it from me, so that itwill light upon Him?

If I could separate it but a hair's breadth from me, then I should be safe,no matter what became of it, since it would not be found in me. In that case Icould dispense with Christ. For if sin were not found on me, it would make no

matter to me where it was found. It would then be away from me, and Iwould be cleared. But nothing that I can do can save me. Therefore all myefforts to separate myself from my sins are unavailing. My sin is committedby myself, in myself, and I cannot separate it from me.

Give Us This Day Our DAILY GOOD NEWS - Volume 2 - A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner - Word 2003

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